6 Comment

While working for the Houston Post as a photog in the mid 80s, I had to suit up, with a ventilator, get on a boat and photograph those pits, so this shouldn’t be news to ANYONE in that vicinity. At the time all I could think about was: if I fall in can I sue someone?

miss_msry: I too have heard about the San Jacinto Dioxin pits for at least 30 years and don’t live anywhere remotely close and never have. For anyone to live right there and be unaware seems difficult to comprehend. Best of luck to those folks.

Bill B: There are potential tax benefits to the Protected Landmark designation, so the owner submits an application. Don’t worry, Houston is still a place where not much can be done to stop you from tearing down a beautiful and/or significant old building if you own the property. It’s even more difficult to force a property owner to maintain his property (e.g., Savoy Hotel).

While I work with Environmental Liabilities every day and know my way around the system, anyone can and should perform some level of due diligence. Certainly our commercial/industrial real estate folks here should be performing a Phase 1 for properties. You never know where an old gas station or dry cleaner could have been.